Infusion pumps have become commonplace within the healthcare industry as devices for precisely administering intravenous (IV) fluids. Use of a pump in place of an elevated fluid container with a simple roller clamp to control the flow of the IV fluid allows more accurate and consistent control of the rate of delivery of the fluid to the patient.
The assembly of tubing, valves, fittings, and needles that connect the fluid container to the patient may be referred to as an “IV set,” IV sets are typically disposable to reduce the risk of infection and contamination. In some infusion pump/IV set systems, a drug for delivery to the patient is provided at or above the pump. In these systems, a fluid such as saline that fills the tubing between the pump and the patient is thus provided to the patient before any of the drug reaches the patient. In some systems, a milliliter or more of fluid can be disposed in the tube which, pumping at one milliliter per hour, can cause a delay of up to one hour before the drug reaches the patient. These systems can be undesirable in some situations if care is not taken.